


Ocean Squalls and Caterwauls

by Kyroki



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Merman more of, mermaid au, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2018-09-08 23:17:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8867245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyroki/pseuds/Kyroki
Summary: Where the ocean meets the land, where salt water meets fresh, and the day meets the night, their worlds touched.





	1. Chapter 1

“Tikki!”

"Tikki, Here girl!”

Marinette called out with one hand cupped beside her mouth, but she was only met with the slight frustration of the roaring coast line devouring her voice. The dark haired girl waited, eyes scanning for the familiar shape of her companion to no avail. Her other hand fidgeted nervously, thumbing over the worn red leash and her pair of sea-grass sandals that were tightly in her clutch. A heavy sigh escaped from her lips as she trudged on, stalking up the rough slopes of the ocean shore. 

As she walked, her small, bare feet sank unhelpfully into the smooth patches of ocean churned gravel, nearly causing her to slide back down the sloped bank more than once. Pellets of loose stones tumbled down noisily in her place as each step left divots in the smooth mounds, much like the happy, rapid trail of steps she had followed here. 

The climb itself was only a little strenuous, but Marinette's breath still hitched from the effort. Yet her pressed lungs didn't stop her from muttering little unpleasantly under a her breath at a few particularly jostled steps, and soon enough, the top of the slope was reached. Bright rays of light belonging to the early morning sun greeted her, refracted against the sea, blinding her with the brilliant speckles of dancing waves. Marinette moved her free hand up to shield her eyes from what her sun hat couldn't.

“Tikki!” The dark haired girl tried again, squinting to see out over the dazzling ocean and rocky cove below.

Much of the shore was a maze of rocky mounds and pillars, a strewn system of ancient, water carved caves. The waterline came close to the lime stone's weather beaten walls, making narrow passages between the two that led to somewhere out of sight. To her dismay, the trail of tracks she was following carved out a merry trail between the two. Woefully, she carefully began to climb down the lime stone wall, about five or more feet down into the rocky cove below. The stones out-cropped ledges gave relatively easy footing, or would have if they weren't slick with moss. 

Half way down, her bare foot squelched against a slick spongy mass of green and the unlucky girl soon found her leg pitched forward in an ungraceful kick off the side of the step. She squealed a strange and sudden sound somewhere between surprise and fright as she tried to catch herself, jamming her elbow back into the wall painfully in her flailing, causing her to drop her toted items. 

The new, sudden pain seized in her arm in a rippling wave of indescribable awfulness as it often does when one clips their foot on the edge of a door, or knocks their funny bone in just the worse way as she had and often had before. Instinctively recoiling with another yelp was all it took to send the clumsy maiden crashing down the few remaining feet, where she landed face down into a pile of damp, smooth pebbles below that only, mercifully, knocked the wind from her lungs. 

In the few moments after, her more graceful sunhat followed, floating down gently till it nestled beside her on the rocks.

There, in the rocks she stayed a few moments, grasping for air, then groaning when she found it. She was, for the most part, relatively unscathed physically. Sure the landing into the pebbles punched the air out of her, but it's loose, movable pieces had in fact lessen the over all impact. Not that Marinette found that relieving with the dull ache in her chest, nor could she think of that of as she hastily spat out pebbles, their slimy, salty texture haunting her mouth. 

“Ughh...” 

She spat a few more times, crinkling her face in disgust. _Tikki just had to of come down here._ Marinette checked herself over. A few bruises here and there, hardly surprising, and a new red tint that bloomed on the knee of her trousers. Pulling it up, she eyed ruby red of a freshly scraped knee. She tried to wipe it clean, hissing as she smeared a bit of blood out of the way. It wasn't too deep, but the scrape and her pants that would definitely need to be washed out. Hopefully before they stained.

She pulled her baggy trousers up, bunching them just above her knees, and then pulled on little draw-string bows on either side of their hemming. The puffy pants tied easily and held cleanly in place thanks to the ribbon laced through them, holding them out of the way of her scrape. Despite the situation, Marinette couldn't help but smile slightly. The ribbons were her own proud design choice for both cute, and functional pants. ...Even though they were made more in mind for wading though shallow water, not for the convenience of injuries.

“Okay.” Marienette huffed, picking herself up. 

Taking a fresh look around, she gathered up her hat, the leash, and each carelessly flung sandal, then looked at the paw prints leading into the limestone maze once more. It would be best if she just got Tikki and went home. One dangerous climb was all she needed for the day. 

"If only that were as easily done as said." She mumbled quietly. 

This time, she proceeded more carefully, her hat clutched to her chest and her free hand trailing against the cliff wall as a guide. Its surface felt crusty and rough, covered in crystallized sea salts, contrasting the path she walked, which was relatively soft with it's finely ground pebbles that had been ground against the shore line for centuries. Marinette guessed that it was probably around mid-tide and that the water would seep away sometime until the evening to ease passage through the long and windy route. It was the sparkling lines of salt that trailed across the walls that warned her that water definitely got higher than this.

All the more reason to hurry. 

Sporting pouted lips, worry inkled up her back and she gave another, much more impatient call for her friend, pausing to listen for a response. Marinette heard the roaring sea. She heard the shushing of the waves gently lapping against rocks and sand. She heard the rustling of the salt-grass stocks shuttering in the wind, and the calls of a few gulls above as they played in the ocean breeze. But she did not hear her companion. 

_Perhaps her voice was destined to be eaten by the hungry waves down here_ , she thought. 

Even so, Marinette gathered her breath and shouted down the banks once more. And again, she stood, listening. Only this time Marionette closed her eyes to concentrate. She could feel the cool waters mist against her face and could smell the oceans salty air as it fluttered her bangs and pulled playfully at her pigtails before carefully caressing her face. All sounds came back as more, like little voices in a mirthful chorus.

In fact, it was so remarkably close to that she could of sworn one of the sounds she heard _was_ singing. The prettiest voice, quiet and woven so it was just barely there, echoing out of some cave before into the sea, calling out... to her maybe, just pulling her in with such a calming, warm sounding... Marionette lost her train of thought for a moment, walking forwards hazily after such a sweet sound, her eyes still closed and a smile painting her lips and-

Cold hit her ankles suddenly, the chilly tide splashing up against her legs forcefully, snapping her from her daze. She back peddled as the current rushed past her ankles, then pulled back heavily as if trying to take her with it. Marinette blinked rapidly, the world clear around her once again. She looked down to see a rather terrifyingly deep plunge in the water below her. She gasped, splashing back to the safe rift. 

_Okay, strange, scary._ When had she walked past the water line? Confused, she swallowed uneasily and trailed back to the wall, keeping close to it. She must have gotten lost in the sound ... she really had to be more careful.

Marinette tried to focus on the mater at hand, she was still worried about her buddy. Even when the pair of them explored, It wasn't like Tikki to roam too far from her, even if this time they had wandered much further off the beaten path than they had in the past. Marinette mostly blamed herself. Tikki had bounded playfully out of sight while she had gotten distracted by the scenery, daydreaming of designs she could make into beautiful clothes one day. The french teen readied her self to call again, but before she could, booming barks bounced back from ahead. Their sound was big and resounding as if coming from a hollow place.

“Tikki!” Marinette breathed excitedly, relieved to hear from her companion.

She walked a few steps along the path as it became narrower, being much more keen to step gingerly this time, for as she walked closer to the rift between the sea and stone she felt the rocks growing soft and slippery with algae underfoot. It squished somewhat unsettlingly, making her uneasy to continue, but the beckoning bark of her companion drew her on. She slid closer to the wall as the path narrowed and slid around a bend.

There was a long stretch of of path for her to take as she hugged the wall that had just enough room for apparently Tikki's and thankfully her own thin frame to pass. But it was still slow going. She wasn't about to take any chances for unplanned swims with the ocean spraying at her heels. She felt a chill up her back as she remembered that at closer glance, the water was surprisingly deep. She surmised that there must be a huge divot churned out by the ocean as it tried to grasp the land.

She peaked at the water again, to find it had become even less of a shallow shore and more of a sheer drop. Horrifying as it may be, she still couldn't help but be amazed at the signs of plants and animals that hinted their life below the dark water. Soon after this discovery, the path opened up again, widening just enough for her to walk straight. She kept her right hand to the wall as a guide until a little later still, the path broke open into a catacomb like maze of limestone caves.

Marinette gave a little gasp, amazed by the splendor of the great arches and stalactites that formed its ceilings. She could see the dancing reflection of tide-pools wave glossily across the ceilings with the refraction of the morning light. Part of the caves ahead were illuminated through gaps ceiling that leaked slanted rays of sunlight farther in. There was even the crisper sound of running water, like a steam, coming out in oppossition to the ocean water pressing in. While she could the long reservoir like grove cut down the middle like a shallow pool leading into one of the caves, she couldn't quite tell which way the water was ebbing. _Maybe it was connected to some deep fresh water source from the main land._

She hoped so anyways, as the sting of her leg reminded her of the red trail running down it. She bet at night when the tide was at it's highest, the waves and the ocean's water would connect here with the fresh water. Marinette touched her hand to her cheek. The thought of the green blue water twisting with the clear water deep in the twisted cavern created an almost magical image in her mind. It reminded her of old bedtime stories her papa told her when she was little. Stories of mermaid coves and labyrinths, of pirate treasures and trials. She liked the stories with mermaids best, even if they were always bitter sweet. There was one story that always scared her though and it had a name for a place like this. 

She ran her tongue over her teeth trying to think _Places like this were called... something similar to coves, what was it..._

The blue eyed girl closed her eyes, tensing her brow. _Mermaid dens? No... that wasn't right._ She clicked her tongue.

“Ah”

“Mermaid traps.” She muttered. “That was it.”

A triumphant smile lined her lips for remembering. In the old tale, mermaids were painted as beautiful and dangerous but terribly curious creatures. It was said that caverns like this would be illuminated at night with strange lights, and that the lights were those of the dead, jealous and yearning of the mermaids eternal life giving skin that they could no longer eat. Drawn in by their deadly curiosity, the mermaid would enter after the lights and then when the tide receded, the mermaid would be trapped inside. And if their panic bettered them to look for another exit before the tide came back, they'd be lost in the fresh water tunnels forever until they became one of the lights themselves, doomed to linger in the trap forever. 

Marinette's smile faded and she gave a shiver. She opened her eyes and stared into the dim, jagged mouth of the deepest cave. Her skin crawled with goosebumps, picking up on the faint air rushing out of the cavern. She hadn't meant to give herself the creeps. And now that she looked at the cave more, even though the limestone spirals and waving lines of minerals were enchanting, she realized a mermaid wasn't the only one who could get lost in there. The notion sent more shivers down her spine. Trying to shake the feeling, the dark haired girl called out softly.

“Tikki?”

The reply resounded from the inside of the center cave. 

Marinette grimaced. 

“Of course.”

She paused a moment, setting down her sandals to slide back on. As she did, she got a strange tingle on the nape of her neck as if a gaze had pieced her back. 

Startled, Marinette snapped head back quickly. She thought she saw something, for just a moment behind her, but as her eyes focused but saw nothing but sparkling, rolling waves. 

_It was just my imagination._

She told herself, fretting. 

_I'm just riled up at my own old tales I'm being paranoid. It was just the sun on the ocean._

Marinette wished it was that easy to calm her nerves. As she looked on a moment longer on to the horizon, she noticed dark, tremulous clouds suddenly hanging in the distance. Mari was surprised she hadn't noticed them earlier. Now she definitely, _really_ didn't want to be here longer than she had to. A nervous hum buzzed in her throat before she slipped inside the mouth of the mermaid trap.


	2. Chapter 2

It was wider inside than she had expected. 

Marinette took notice of this as she followed the stream further in. The space opened up considerably, amplifying the gurgled roar of the crashing tides outside, a strong an ambient noise that filled her ears with the same static-y feeling of deafening silence. Chewing her lips, her bright blue eyes flickered here and there at the unfamiliar surroundings.

She tried not to be hesitant, but she was really wishing she hadn't psyched herself out so much before hand. Her trip down here had already resulted in a lot of new bruises. She put her hand on her sternum that still ached dully and grimaced. Her mind wandered off with her thoughts into an unhelpful direction. A person needed to be careful down here. She could slip and fall and break something or, or … fall into a drop and drown.

_If she got into an accident would anyone be able to even find her?_ Her body left to rot in a mermaid trap tapped with the lost souls of the- 

Marinette swallowed harshly, glancing back to the receding entrance.

_Why did tikki have to come here?_

”There are no such things” She muttered aloud, thought she only half believed it herself.

She shook her head vigorously trying to chase away the notion. The bluenette walked beside the stream trying to reign in her unhelpful thoughts as they now lavished over a thousand ways this cave could be haunted. Smooth stones shimmered at the bottom of the water bed that cut through the middle of the cave, sending their reflections out like stars against the cave ceiling. Marinette noticed a sandy colored starfish that clung to a large rock beneath the water watched as ferns danced as they were nudged along by the current. The lax scene comforted her a little.

Perhaps a few minutes in, the light grew dimmer as she made it further through the tunnels entrance. The ceiling and floor of the cave alike grew further apart as openings in the rocky ceiling became higher and higher up so that the soft cold light from outside now merely feathered down into soft spotlights for the dancing dust motes in the cold cave air above. 

Aware of the pressing of the rocks above her, the late teen hummed anxiously. Her senses dialed up along with her nerves. She could hear cave kisses dripping from unseen places in plops and pings, the sound of the stream beside her as it gurgled playful with the trickling of water though rocks, and even the chuffing of her feet upon the ground made her feel exposed. Everything had an intensity to it's existence and it put her on edge. Contrastingly, the roar of the sea, that was once so strong, had now dulled into a slow shhh as it faded calmly into the background.The only break in this pattern was met when a droplet hit her face with a cold splash that sent tingles up the back of her spine.

The cave had given her a kiss. A sign of good luck but still chilling. 

Her sun hat rustled slightly as her grip on it tightened, she decided it would be better to put back on, lucky kisses aside. 

Her nerves were worn by the time the girl readied herself to call her companion again, raising her voice for nothing more than to break the looming pattern, but just as she began, an excited bark boomed in front of her. Wired up, Marinette flinched and let out a small “Eep!” followed by the embarrassed clasping of her hand over her mouth as it echoed out loudly around her. A splash sounded back from close up ahead, like something plunged into water. Fearing Tikki may have fallen into a pool, the bakers daughter dashed forward around a bend of rocks.

Marinette had found her friend.

The excited Irish Setter was circling happily around a pool of water. Her feet danced with overwhelming eagerness as she barked first at Marinette and then to happiness in general. She paced impatiently around the water, wriggling this way and that and she looked pretty dry. Marinette sighed in relief, giving the dog a smile. 

“Tikiii... don't run off like that, you scared me half to death.” She scolded lovingly, crossing to her friend.

As she did however, she noticed something odd about the pool. Like the shore outside it was far deeper than she expected, probably carved long ago by some vent or pressured water, but stranger still, the surface of it rippled slightly, as if something had just disrupted it surface. Marinette looked up, but the ceiling was too dark to see. So she waited.

No droplets fell.

_They would have probably too small to disrupt the surface as it was anyways._ Marinette hummed. _Then A fish? Maybe Tikki?_

Marinette closed the gap between her and her friend, saying her hello's. Tikki wiggled in delight. The girl did her best to inspect her happy bouncing companion as she squirmed all over the place, trying to lick her favorite humans face in greetings.

The top of her head was damp, but other than that the red pup was dry as reed stalk. Still as she combed her fingers over the top of Tikki's head, Marinette couldn't guess how Tikki could have possibly gotten just it wet all on her own.

“What have you been up to?” She whispered in a kindly chiding, scratching under Tikki's silky chin.

“Has the cave been giving you kisses too?”

The dog gave a small boof, pressing her head lovingly into her owners soft hands. 

They stayed like that for a minute or two until with a relieved sigh, Marinette gave the red hound one last head pat for good measure. Gathering up her self, she produced the worn red leash and clipped it back onto Tikki's collar. 

“Come on girl, time to go.” She sighed warily, standing up in a stretch and then turning back towards where she came from.

After only a few steps she was caught by the taughtness of the leash. 

“Wha-” Marinette puzzled, looking back to wear Tikki sat rooted to the stone floor.

“Tikki?” She half-challenged, half-pleaded. “Come on, we need to go.” 

Her companion barked back softly, her duster of a tail wagging lowly and slowly. 

“Tikki.” 

Tikki gave a soft whine. 

“Tikkiiii....”

Marinette sighed, trekking back to her companion, who let out a bark, circling happily. Tikki sniffed at the ground, trailing around the pool for a bit before planted herself down staring intently at the water. _Maybe there were fish after all?_

“What are you doing, silly girl?” Her owner questioned, kneeling down beside her to look.

There was a flickering flash in the pool that caught her eye and the surface rippled again. Marinette squinted but couldn't quite see much. Her hat and her reflection blocked her view.

Taking off her sunhat, an placing it at her side, Marinette inched forward to peer over the well's lip trying to see what was there, but he clear pool revealed nothing. Its deep bottom curved away from sight into some unknown place. There was nothing...except, she squinted a little harder. No... there was something... just barely poking out from the bend. _What was that?_ It looked like... maybe a large fin-

Marinette yelped in surprised as warm slimy thing touched the nape of her neck. She turned to Tikki's cherry face with her tongue hanging out as the she followed the movement of her owner, happily attempting to lick her humans face once more. 

“Tikki!” The bluenette laughed, trying to quell her startled heart. “Don't do that!” Her giggles sounded like bells ringing back at her through the cave.

“Stop, stop it, down girl”

Finally, Marinette pushed her companions relentless kisses away, her face scrunched in a bashful smile as she rolled onto her heels. 

“Okay okay, that's enough funny business.” she declared forgetting her curiosity. "It's time to go home." 

As she reached over to grab her sun hat, Marinette briefly leaned over the pool as she made to rise. But this time, from beneath the settled water, she saw not only the reflection of her mirthful face, but beneath even that, an intense pair of bright green eyes, staring back at up her. 

Not for the first time, nor probably the last time that day, Marinette screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes okay, I apologize I meant to get back to this a lot sooner but things got hectic and then I forgot. So here's a short chapter addition.


	3. Chapter 3

Poor Tikki jumped as her master gave fright, the red dog kicking up into a stiff-legged bunny hop a clear foot in the air. 

“Oh no, No NO nNO- ACK.” Marinette stammered, flailing back wildly. 

_I've found a dead body._

That was the first thought screaming with utter clarity in Marinette's mind. In that moment, she was sure of it. 

_Oh god, I've found a dead body._

Before her brain could fully describe exactly what she had seen, the girl was already violently scrambling away from the pool, kicking out with all limbs until she felt her heel connect with the brim of her sunhat instead of the stone ground. The straw brim gave easily against her weight, and in one motion, launched her leg straight up into a swift kick that sent the poor hat sliding several feet away. In the same motion, the now off-balance Marinette wheeled back, and with her ungracefully lashing leg, launched one of her sandals out ahead of her.

To her horror, she watched helplessly as the shoe's arch plopped the sandal straight into the well, before she herself was sent crashing into down into frigid shallow stream behind her. 

There she sat, frozen, sitting half way in the cold water with her eyes stretched frightfully wide, watching the poor article bobble on the surface of the pond. Marinette couldn't look away from the shoe as her brain reeled with this information, afraid that any more action might cause something worse to happen. Her mind shut down into static. 

It was the sudden touch Tikki's warm tongue against her cheek that finally broke through her stupor. Marinette gasped as she looked over, seeing her loving animal whine worriedly, tail waging slow and low as she nudged her owner. 

“Hah...” Marinette breathed in a harsh, breathy laugh of panic as she snapped back into thought. She sucked in gulps of air. “Hah... okay. Okay.” 

“I'm... I'm okay Tikki, I-I'm okay.” 

She pressed a hiss through her teeth as if to undo pressure in her mind. _Okay, think Marinette, think. You're okay._

There was nothing in the pool when she had checked the fist time, she was positive of it. There just wasn't... nothing like _that_. She was pretty sure she wouldn't have missed an entire corpse, and that was striking. The image of those pair of beautiful, piercing, vividly green eyes were burned fresh in her memory. 

Eyes. Oh god. 

They were HUMAN eyes. Or so she thought. But ...not quite... something was off about them.

T-they had looked up at her from beneath the water. At her. She could have sworn they were looking AT HER from beneath the clear pond. There was no listless look of a drowned soul... no glassy far off gaze. Those eyes were a brilliant fresh green like new leaves in spring. And they were looking AT HER. 

Shivering, Marinette clasped her head and looked down, muttering inarticulately to herself over the possibilities. She hadn't just imagined that had she? But maybe she had? Maybe the cave was leaking gas. Maybe it was a trick of the light. Maybe she hit her head on that fall down the slopes. The teen touched her scalp feeling the skin through her dark locks in examination, but no bumps or stings relieved themselves to her touch. She knew what she had seen. 

A fierce chill clawed down her spine. She wanted so, so badly for this to some horrifying hallucination, but she couldn't shake the image of what she had seen. Pouting, she bit her lip, collecting what resolve she could muster. Her gaze cast out and she lowered her hands from her face, so she could give a steely glare at the pool where her sandal bobbled mockingly on the waters surface. Only one way to be sure. She needed to get a good look at that face.

As she pushed herself forward out of the cold water and onto her knees, Marinette gave a sharp hiss as her bare knee touched the stone. She had forgotten about the cut across it. Pulling it up she saw a new plume of rosy red blossoming across the scrape that had just barely dried shut since it opened. Marinette wrinkled her nose as the fresh blood dribble out from the line down her shin. Great. Good. Today was showing no mercy. Now chewing her lip, the frazzled teen sighed, her hands hesitating around the cut before she gave up. There was no way to clean it up safely here, so she elected to ignore it. For now her mission was to continue her advance on the well with a meak, petty pace that match her reluctance to see her goal. 

She reached the edge of the pool with her nerves coiled in the pit of her stomach, pausing to steady herself before looking in. _This was it. Just look. Be sure. You're okay._ Squeezing her eyes shut, the brave girl took a deep breath, catching the air in her chest as she steeled herself for the gruesome scene she expected, let it escape with an excited, rattling whisper. 

"Okay."

She felt odd, scared no... nervous but not... afraid? She should be afraid. She should have been afraid. Her mind was pleading a small chant of “please-don't-be-a-dead-body-pleased-don't-be-a-dead-body” as she pulled herself forward to look down into the glassy water. She opened her eyes and looked down. And there, beneath the crystal water was... 

Nothing. 

Absolutely nothing at all. 

Instead of a body, she found herself staring doe-eyed at her own reflection, then past it. Instead of a pair of luminous green eyes, she found her own bountiful blues. There was no body. No eyes. Nothing. Just the same small plants she had seen in the stream coming into the cave, lining the edges and bottom of the long snaking tunnel. The same plants that danced in a small ebbing motion and the image of rocks shifting as the waters surface settled. Other than that, nothing else in the well stirred. Her intense focus on the scene was broken as her sandal drifted across her line of sight. 

"Oh."

Was all she could say at first. "Oh..."

Marinette sat back heavily and her chest heaved out, giving a few exasperated laughs . 

"Oh!"

Whatever she had seen was gone. 

“ Hah! Nothing, hah! Nothing Tikki! There was nothing...oh god." 

Oh god she really hoped there had never been anything. 

She sat a few moments, staring into space as her heart wilted into a wind down within her chest. She felt like years had been scathed off her life. What was that all about? What had she seen? Was it a tick of the light? A loose bit of Kelp or Sea grass? She must have really psyched herself out with that story. 

Marinette closed her eyes tightly, image of those lustrous green eyes stared back at her intensively in her mind. After a good few deep breaths, Marinette looked into the opening again, crouching with her knees bent outward. She stared, long and hard, but it was still empty. Watching the bottom, she tentatively reached out a hand and snatched her sandal out of the water. 

Nothing changed.

She sighed. She really had lost her mind.

As she stared on, she noticed a drop of blood from her knee as it dripped from her knee into the pool bellow. With little interest she watched the ruby red defused instantly into the crystal water before it was gone. Marinette pulled her leg back with a grimace, maybe she should find a way to patch-

The dull rolling of thunder sounded up the caver from outside and Marrinette flinched darting a glance down the length of the cave. Beside her, Tikki began to growl, her hackles rising slightly. _Was the storm already here?_ She furrowed her brow. _Maybe a squall had pushed in towards the shore. She shoul-_

Her thoughts were cut short as the water beside her erupted like a geyser. The girl just barely in time to see a flash of green something crashed into her like a raging bull, plowing her body backwards. She felt the a dull and horrible pain as her head dashed against the stone floor, then everything went black.

  
,

_____________

The cave echoed with the sound of clashing thunder, the sound of rain filling the air like a hushed whisper. Drops of rain found their way along the cave ceiling and dripped down the pointed ceilings to the damp ground with a plip while a few solitary drops hit a slender frame of flesh below with hardly a noise. The frame was that of a boy, towering over the form of the girl. Both of his arms were outstretched, flexed in a broad, over-barring stance to where his hands tightly pinned her wrists. His chest bent with labored, jagged breaths, forcing his fanged mouth open with a harsh gasp as if he had just breathed air for the fist time.

His face was defined with a smooth jaw line, and petite nose, but his most predominate feature were his electric green eyes, that at this moment, stared down in unfocused, predatory slits; as if he saw nothing before him. Steams of droplets passed in front of his gaze, dripping from his short, golden locks onto the girls unconscious face. 

Suddenly his bare chest heaved with a choking effort as black crested gills flared our along the curves of his neck. The sharp smell of the metallic tang of blood filled his senses before the slits clamped shut, sealing into thin lines as his throat acclimated to the abundant air, and the boy curled inwards in a coughing fit. Slapping the ground behind him, a long, jet black tail graduating from his hips, weighed over the unconscious girl's legs and into the pool where his tail-fin smacked the earth and water in sharp succession. When his fit had subsided, the moment grew still again, and the cave echoed with the sounds of water and breath. The creatures focus had broken, and he now froze as he took notice of the deep, low growl that now reached his ears. 

With a small gasp, the boy turned, his pupils dilating back into large enchanting ovals. He felt the tingle of his beastly fangs receding into his gums and the fanned fins of his ears twitched as he turned to face the friendly red dog from before. Only now, the red land dog was glowering at him, teeth bared as she growled, her ruddy fur raised tensely as she edged in closer. 

"Wait, wait it's me I-" As he shifted he felt something soft below him as well as the smooth flesh of the wrists he held in his hands. Glancing down, the boy was now very aware of the unmoving form he had pinned beneath him. It was the blue eyed girl.

"No!" He yelped, pushing himself off of her, clambering onto the stone beside her. 

"No, no, no. I-I I didn't mean to I-"

He looked from the girl to the dog helplessly, hands shakily hovering above the girls shoulder. 

"I-I.." 

The beast had stopped growling, eyeing him before inching closer with a small whine. He watched her with tight-lipped worry as she extended her long neck to sniff her owner face. The dog gave the girls cheek a worried lick as she whined. 

_What had he done? Had he..._

He looked around the cavern for anything, anyone, his voice stuck in his throat as he wanted to get help, but of course they were alone. This human must come here alone.

The blonde could feel his heart pounded heavily in his chest, he felt sick. He stared at the girls chest anxiously, trying to gage for movement, but he couldn't tell if she was breathing. Anxiously he scooted forward to get a better look. As he did the red land dog growled at him in warning. 

"I know I just- I'm sorry I- just want to..." he stammered, cutting himself short as the smallest sound mumbled beneath him. 

A small, breathy moan escaped from the girls lips and he froze as she twitched slightly. He stayed like a statue that for a good moment, but she didn't wake up.

The boy let out a small squeak and the dog beside him relaxed, watching now as the fair-haired monster shifted again to put his head down carefully to the girls chest. Pressing his ear against her chilled flesh, the finned boy held his breath to listing carefully. Beneath her ribs, he could feel the strong, steady pounding of a pulse within her chest with the slightest rise and fall of her lungs, assuring him that she indeed lived. Pulling back, he breathed a hoarse chuckle, smiling thinly in relief as he lifted his head.

"Oh thank the seven seas." He exhaled in relief. "She's alive." 

The beast, Tikki, had settled by her masters side, whining softly with her tail sweeping the stone floor slowly. Hesitatingly, the boy reached out to pat the top of the dogs head again, and she allowed it. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her." He mumbled softly.

Familiar thunder clashed from far outside, echoing hollowly up the cave. Calmly, the boy stared down the dark length of the tunnel, where the sound of the sea faintly roared from beyond his sight. A storm had rolled in. He wondered if it was... Breaking the thought, his glance fell to the small river a mere few feet from him. There was still no way out for him until the tides rose again that evening, not unless he wanted to shred his stomach and fins and call all the sharks in the ocean to come nipping at his fins. And the cave wasn't dry enough to walk out either he added as a cold drop hit the top of his scalp. 

Grimacing, he now absentmindedly running his hands through Tikki's fur, careful of his claws. He was stuck here, with a human he had hurt. As his eyes worryingly drifted back to the unconscious girl, he was slapped with a sudden realization. This was the closest he had ever been to a human he had ever been, and might be the closest he'll ever be to a human in his entire life.

He leaned forward with nervous curiosity, pressing his hand on the ground on the other side of her as he leaned in to examined her face. Her skin had gone quite pale, like bleached coral, with tinges of an angry pink flushing on her cheeks and ears. He guessed it her current complexion probably due stress of the last few moments. Or maybe that how she looked naturally? He didn't know. He examined the way her silky, blackish-blue hair flowered around her like a crown in a striking composition, and how her soft face was calm and lax as if she were merely in a deep sleep. 

Letting his eyes trail along from her bangs to her long lashed eyes, he trailed his gaze from her daintily pinched nose, to her small pink lips parted just so to allow the signs of life in and out with great interest. She was pretty, but to him, the strangest thing about her face was that it was completely smooth and unmarked by even a single glitter of a scale. He touched his own face in comparison, feeling along the side of his face for the flecks of tiny black scales that feathered the sides of his cheeks.

There was another odd thing he noticed, glimpsing something rounded and pink poking from beneath her hair on either side of her face. He drew in close face to look at where the tip of her ear made themselves seen and gently brushed away her locks to get a look at the anomaly. Her ears little and cute as they were smooth and round. The mermaid put a hand up to his own ears, tracing it with his fingertips. His ears were pointed, gilded flairs of fin. A smile brightened his face. This was incredible. 

He looked to Tikki, who watched him attentively, here ears raised. "That's amazing!" He mused happily to her. He puffed a breath excitedly, his ears flickering with joy. 

He followed her body looking for differences and similarity they shared until he got to her legs. _She had LEGS._ All the time, even when she got wet. _She could probably go where ever she wanted up on the surface._ He sighed thinking about it, but as he took a deep breath in the the faint smell of blood met his senses again. He felt a twitch on his spine, the smell was weak to him in the open air but it was still there. He scooted a little further down trying to follow the sent. He examined the strange but elegant looking garment she sported around her legs until he came to where the cloth was drawn up with ribbons at her knees. He reached out to touch the shiny dangling cloth but paused; just under his hand she had a long but shallow gash across her left knee with a small trail of watery blood arching away from it. 

Oh. Had... had he done that to her? He tried to remember the moment before he had blacked out, over come by the intoxicating scent of blood had dribbled into the water, before everything went hazy. No. No he hadn't done this, it was recent but not fresh, it was probably the reason he had so impulsively jumped her in the first place. 

_Still, the boy swallowed harshly, grimacing again. He could have done so much worse if he hadn't snapped out of it._

There was a sense of obligation he had over the situation. So he gingerly held his hand out over the cut, and closed his eyes. He felt warmth seep up into his palm, then a sharp, stinging pain that coused shortly through him. The pain of the initial injury. 

"Ah-!" he hissed quietly, trying not to squirm at the mild discomfort the feeling gave him.

He peaked his eyes open, hopeful, moving his hand away hand away from her knee. Sure enough, the cut had vanished. He felt a satisfied warmth in his chest. 

"You really should be more careful." He chided softly to the girl who could not hear it. 

"Ngh..."

A small noise answered him back and the fair haired boy froze, his skin crawling in fear. The girl shifted, this time adjusting out of unconsciousness and into a sleep. For a minute after the merman stayed perfectly still, thankfully she did not rouse.

He sighed, the reality of the situation coming back to him. 

He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to sit with her and make sure she was okay, to talk and swap stories about about her world and his... he couldn't let himself be spotted. Humans were monsters, weren't they? They arn't very strong, but he was always told growing up that they were they're wicked and clever, and full of tricks. Monsters that were as sharp and fragile as glass. And that if they found you they would steal you from the sea, stick you with harpoons, nets, and knives.

The merman scrunched his face uncomfortably as he thought about it. She didn't feel dangerous, maybe that's why he let his curiosity get the better of him.

But... there were many stories, terrifying stories about how the devious nature of Humans. Stories of how some would imprison you like a trophy if you were "lucky", make you into a stuffed mount, cart you off and sell you in pieces, or stories where they'd skin you alive and eat your flesh if you weren't. Either way, you would be met a horrible fate never be seen again. Not even your soul would never find rest.

The blonde shivered, here he was, stuck in a cave with a human. A human he attacked no less. Not that that was really taboo out in the ocean but he never wanted any part of it.

The merman hugged his arms and looked at the unconscious girl. 

She really didn't look like a monster.

Would she think he looked like one?

He curled his tail to his chest, resting his arms over it as he stared at her, conflicted by his thoughts. His curiosity was struggling within him. She was pretty, he noted a second time. She looked soft and delicate, like she would never hurt anyone. Maybe the stories were wrong? Maybe not all humans were bad... she could be kind.

"It's probably just wishfull thinking." He said to no one. 

But as he watched the land dog curl up over her owner, whimpering between small breaths, and nusingly nudging the girls cheek now and then, part of him thought it could be true. 

The storm bellowed in again from the outside. The torrent sound of rain filled the tunnel even more than before. Even with the rains, it wouldn't be until the late evening the mermaid could leavebut he didn't feel too rushed now. He let his mind roam as he wondered when the girl would be awake. This part of the cave flooded just a bit when the tide rose and that wouldn't be good for her. In the quiet of his musing, he noticed the girls body was shivering. He reached out a hand to feel her faintly flushed cheeks. She was freezing. He felt a wave of stupidity for not noticing. Of couse she'd be cold. She wasn't made like him, humans weren't made for water and she was still drenched from his attack in a cold stone cavern. He looked around again. What could he do for her? There wasn't... 

"Oh!" 

There was a rock crop, just above the water stains of the cave, covered in dried dead moss that seemed to have escaped the abundant moisture of the cave. In the very least it would work to get her off the cold stone ground.

Carefully, he dragged himself over the ground between the crop and her, his tail flouncing as he scooted. It was difficult getting himself to move on land with it, but he managed to half roll here and there to cover the distance, and eventually he got around her sleeping figure. He reached out to grab under her arms and he was met with a short nervous growl from the dog as he shifted her weight. Tikki had her ears low, her tail wagging low and slow as she licked her muzzle nervously whining as she blanketed her owner protectively. 

"It's okay. I'm not... I wont hurt her." 

The animal backed down, stepping off of her owner to reluctantly allowed it, watching like a hawk as the boy moved her precious person up over the little ledge and onto the mossy outcrop. The boy tried his best to be delicate because even she wasn't very heavy to him, moving was very awkward. When he finally managed to get her up safely onto the blanket layer, Tikki moved around to curl onto the girls other side, pausing only to lick the merman's cheek in thanks before plopping over her owner like a silken blanket, heaving a heavy sigh . 

The boy smiled, patting the dogs head. After a moment, he pushed himself back to the pool, and slid carefully into the well, where he crossed his arms and watched the pair from the rim. Seeing the human girls peaceful face as droplets twinkled here and there in the cave lit his heart with a comforting warmth. She was the first human he'd ever seen so close to ... probably the first human he'd ever meet. He really wanted to wait for her to wake so they could talk, but as even as he entertained the thought, a delicate sad smile framed his lips. The warmth he felt his heart twinged into slight discomfort. He shouldn't think that way. Mermaids can't be seen by humans, If they did, his kind would drown them to keep themselves safe. He sunk lower into the water, taking in a smooth breath as his gills flourished open in the cold water. He would wait and watch just a little longer, hoping she'd wake up soon.

_____________

Marinette came to slowly. The faint memory of a warm presence fading from her senses. There was something heavy and warm was draped over her body, weighing her to the hard earth. And while it took a while for the cloud of her brain to sort the signal of alarm, when it did, the sleeping beauty launched up with a start, gasping for air and twisting sharply. The warmth that was Tikki shifted, startled awake on top of her, immediately turned to shower Marinette's face in kisses, whining frantically over her owners returned consciousness as she stepping onto the girls guts.

"Ow. Tikki ow. I'm fine... I'm okay. Thank you. Yes, I know, Thank you." 

As Marinette managed to sit up, trying to thwart her excited setter's rain of kisses that poked in ticklishly at her neck and cheek. She felt strange and kind of groggy. She had no idea how long she had been out..or why. The last thing she remembered was that she was sitting by the well and then... there was an eruption of water had exploded and then... then...

She frowned. She couldn't remember anything after that. Her head hurt, a lot. Her temple pulsed with a dull ache. Her hand felt behind her head tenderly, were a nice little bump had formed. There was no pain anywhere else though. Bruises, sure, but when Marinette turned to look at her leg where her ribbon trouser were neatly tied, she blinked heavily, met with intense confusion.

"I don't... what?" She flexed her leg to be sure. "No..."

Her cut was gone.

"I.." She began, furrowing her brow only to wince at the ache it caused in her forehead. _How on earth-_ She checked both legs to be sure, not believing what she saw. 

"How long was I out?!" she exclaimed exasperatedly. She had so many questions. The image of the eyes flashed in her mind again. She whirled around to look at the pool. There wasn't a stirring on its surface, but there was however a massive water trail from there to where she lay. Grunting, Marinette turned to get up. Her hands touching the scrunchy dryness of the dead moss. She didn't remember being even close to this patch. Slight panic in her veins, Marinette rose to survey the scene. Did she faint? That had to be it. She must have scared her self so much she fainted and fell into the well... maybe? But how on earth did she get over here? The blue haired girl looked to her companion. Tikki must have pulled her out to safety somehow.

Marinette frowned. It didn't quite add up for her, but she couldn't think of a more logical answer. 

The very fact that she may have come close to drowning was a little overwhelming for her. She was tired and dazed both mentally and physically, and now Marinette just wanted to go home. She clearly had enough adventure for today. 

The bakers daughter knelt and gave her faithful companion a hug, nuzzling her face into the dogs fur.

"I'm lucky to have you Tikki." She said, muffled into the dogs coat.

Tikki whined and pulled away. Marinette watched as Tikki hoped down the ledge wandered over to the well. Curious she saw her pick something up in her mouth and bring it back. The K9 presented one, uncomfortably soaked sandal to her, tail waving high in broad arcs. Marinette smiled softly, and taking the article and slipping it back on. 

“Thanks Tikki, lets...” Marinette mumbled, her hand on the dogs back, but she trailed off. She was tired. The worn heroine stood there in a daze, listening to the sounds of dripping water as it pinged here and there throughout the cave. It was strange to think, but to her the melody of the water felt like reminiscent to that strange song she had heard before entering the cave. 

Tikki, meanwhile, whined and trotted around to her other side, now holding the handle of her own leash in her mouth as she leaned in against her owners leg. Her tail wagged low and encouragingly as the chorus of droplets played on throughout the cave. It did sound like the storm outside had died down, only adding to Marinette's increasingly wayward sense of time spent in the cave. 

“Mmm.” Marinette hummed looking ahead to where the rain had broken into the cave ahead ahead. She was already cold, wet, sore and spooked. She'd be sloshing through puddles on her way out. She really did seem to have the worst luck.

Rocking on her heels, Marinette looked worriedly at the water well one last time, then patted down her legs and took the leash from Tikki's mouth.

“Come on Girl, time to go home. No more caves for us today.” 

_And maybe ever_ , she added to herself. 

Giving no protest this time, together the pair quickly and carefully followed the stream towards the cave entrance. As she traveled down the corridor, Marinette once again felt like she was being watched. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Whoops, it has been a while... again.
> 
> I really should have double checked this chapter more though, but i wanted to get it out there (; - ; )  
> \----  
> Update: I went back and edited these first three chapters to make them read a bit smoother.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see, I'm sorry to keep you waiting and thank you so much for your sweet notes of encouragement. 
> 
> In addition to this chapter I also went back and made some edits, additions, and clean ups to the previous chapters. I don't have a proof reader, so I'm trying to be good about any mistakes, grammar or other wise, I find looking back.

Marinette blinked heavily as she neared the mouth of the cave; It was surprisingly bright as sunlight hooked straight into the caverns mouth off the water. Still, her eyes adjusted quickly to the scene outside, while her mind was a little slower to catch up. 

She stopped just shy of the exit, puzzled by the ocean tide that had already begun to trickle up into the cave. _It wasn't supposed to be high tide until..._ Marinette watched the rising pool of water ebbing back and forth the caverns into mouth as wrinkle of concern creased its way onto her brow. She looked back into the cave once puffing in frustration, before sloshing out into the open air. 

The water outside sank deeper the further she went out, coming up to just above her ankles as she reached the edge of the path she used reach the caves in the first place. To her dismay, it looked like her entire route back was already flooded with the water line still steadily rising. Yet it was the fact that the tides were already rising that concerned her more. Looking to the sky, she felt her heart sink a little as the hint of changing hues confirmed her suspicions. The sun, in its cloud sheltered splendor, already sat back in the sky, a ways past the mark of noon to the point that it hung a ways above the horizon. 

_Impossible._ She thought to herself. _This couldn't possibly the case._

"Just how long was I out???" the lass shouted to into the ocean air. 

It looked like her whole day had gone to waste. 

Marinette squinted, judging the sun. _It must be somewhere around... maybe 4 pm?_ She took her best guess. The sun would be setting by the time she made it home, especially if she didn't get going. The tide to would make her path too dangerous to cross if she waited around too long.

With a display of some humor at her loss, she wrinkled her nose at the sun and began the trek back. Along the sheer path her tracks had already been glossed over by the rising water along, not that she needed them to find her way along the the rift, but any evidence of her journey too and fro were simply to be wiped from the stones record. She let Tikki hold her own leash as the two navigated the shallow twist and turns back to the rocky cove so they could both scoot by easier, that and she didn't want to drag the poor pooch into the water with her if she took a miss-step.

The water, as if proving the point, was more aggressive than ever as it tugged at her shins. Marinette tied to stick close to Tikki, still trying to be ready in case the canine needed any assistance staying stable against the tides. But to her surprise, the setter seemed to need no help at all as she trudged through the water along the slick pathway. The trail dipped down here and there, setting the water at different levels for the pair as they rounded the bends of the pathway providing slow going, but soon enough the pair had made it out of the labyrinth. 

When faced with the wall, Marinette had to hoist Tikki up to get her out of the cove, getting covered in paw prints as the dog scrambled up over the edge. After the dog was safely up, she threw her shoes up before making a few attempts to climb the wall herself. It took a bit, by the time the water had just reached the base of the wall, she had managed to scramble over the edge of the ledge, calling out in victory against the short sheer shelf of rock. 

"Ha!" She shouted gleefully, hands in the air as Tikki watched her triumph.

"We've done it, we made it back in one piece, I got my sandals anD , MY HAT."

Marienette cursed, her hand flying up to her head as she realized the absence of the forgotten article. She looked down the short drop over the short drop she climbed, staring in dismay at the water that ebbed against the bottom of the rocks. There was no way she was going to be able to go back and get it, not today anyways. It looked liked she wasn't going to be able to avoid another cave adventure in her near future. 

"Tikkiii..." Marinette whined, her dog companion already leaning into the side of her leg. 

"Let's go..." the disappointed teen surrendered and the two of them took of towards the path, following the coast line back towards town.

\----

The sun had indeed began to paint the sky orange by the time the pair of them made it home, taking the back-way though alleys instead the main cobbled roads of the village. Luckily the bakery was near the edge of town anyways, so she didn't have to sneak far. Marinette was sore, bruised and battered, covered in mud and rain, and smelling somewhat of wet dog from boosting Tikki up over the short pebble cliff and in no mood to explain herself to any passersbyers. Tikki too, was similarly damp and muddy, but at this point it was mostly because she had stopped to role in a damp grassy patch along the way. Speaking of the trusty K9, Marinette spotted Tikki who had run ahead, waiting by the back door for her owner to catch up. The bakers daughter smiled at that. They had installed a doggy door around back so Tikki could go in and out as needed, but her friend always waited for her anyways. 

Marinette did her best to brush the two of them down before she went inside, knowing customers might still be milling in the shop even at this time. But when she made to unfurl the ribbon lace of her pants, she paused. There was still a brownish stain of died blood on the left leg... but no cut. She couldn't comprehend it. However, deciding it would be best avoid questioning for bloodstained pants from her parents she couldn't explain, she decided to leave the ribbon in place.

The cautious lass popped the back door open carefully, peering in before she made her move. She could hear voices inside, her Papa talking with someone. She decided it would be a good of moment as any to try and slip buy. Stepping lightly, the two of them crept in, Marinette taking her sodden sandals off next to the door to carry as Tikki trotted in behind her, nails clicking softly in the tile floor. Mari carefully closed the door behind her until it shut with a soft click, though every noise she made felt thunderous to her. The hound followed the tip-toeing girl as she cut through the kitchen. She was going to have to cut behind the counter to reach the upstairs of the bakery. From the door frame, Mari peeked into the main room. Her fathers back was too her, talking to a customer across the counter, his large frame making it hard to see exactly who, but from the sound of the other voice, she could very well take a guess. 

"It's Mr. Damocles." Mari groan quietly to Tikki, sliding her back down the kitchen wall and taking the pups head in her hands as she sat on the floor. She had already seen him once that morning on her way out of town, and that was enough for her. The last thing she needed was to be scolded by that stickler over her appearance. There was no other choice but to wait. As much as she wished the old politician would buy his bread and leave, he seemed pretty intent on what ever he was talking about. Mari turned her head to the side as their voices drifted in under the white saloon doors that divided the spaces. 

"-spotted just up the shore, but its hogwash I assure you. Hooligans spreading rumors. " Mr. Damocles voice grumbled. 

She heard her father grunt in an appeasing agreement and wondered how long Damocles had been prattling his ears off and over what. 

"Still that aside, I'd keep an eye on that... lionhearted daughter of yours. Kids can get into all kinds of trouble these days without a keen eye, I'll tell you." 

Marinette was a slightly offended. She wasn't a kid anymore. But also at the same time wasn't a far stretch to guess that "lionhearted" was also not the first word he had in mind for her either. Foolhardy may have been more in his lexicon of choice. And wanted or (more often than not) unwanted, he always had something to say about how others acted. He wasn't the type of man one could take true insult from. 

"Don't worry Mr. Damocles, Marinette is a smart girl, she knows how to stay out of trouble." she heard her father reply, chuckling light-heartedly.

A smile tugged at the corners of her cheeks, touched by her fathers open belief in her. Marinette could picture the owlish old man grunting back his response that she couldn't quite hear through his overly groomed grey beard, mumbling this and that as the two of them brought their conversation to a close. After that it wasn't long before Marinette heard the bell of the front door signal their customers departure, and she got up to peek her head over the doors once more just as she heard her moms voice say something from the front of the store.

"Hello papa." She beamed pushing the doors open, and dodging around a table so he wouldn't have a change to see too much of her day's scuffle. 

Tom turned from the counter with a tray of biscottis to be placed back on the shelf, greeting her warmly. 

"Hello my little Mari." he hummed. "How was your day?".

"It was... adventurous Papa." The bakers daughter answered, stopping to greet him on her way to the stairs.

He leaned down a little so she could give him peck on the cheek, the front of his apron was smattered with flour and his hands diligently kept busy as he tidied a pastie on the wooden counters, but his green eyes still sparkled with warmth as he turned slightly to give her his attention. A second sooner, her mom rounded into view, holding a basket from the displays as Marinette scooted a little further into the room. 

"Hello Mama." Marinette greeted, back peddling to give her pecks on the cheeks as well before hopping over to the stairs. 

"Hello Marinette." Sabine smiled lovingly, returning her daughter's kisses in greeting. But before her daughter could escape to the stairs, she stopped her with a gentle touch to the shoulder. "Are you alright? You're covered in mud." 

Twisting her right leg over her left, Marinette laughed somewhat nervously and took her mothers hand. 

"Tikki and I got caught in some rain by the beach. We got a little dirty, but we're no worse for wear." She assured. 

"You know me, always into something!" Marinette babbled more as she tried to play it off, skipping past both her parents to the steps. 

Her mother nodded and gave her a soft smile. Spots of bad luck weren't unusual for her daughter, but she still worried.

"I'm glad your safe. Papa and I are making dinner after we close up the store, if you want to take the time to clean up." 

"Thank you, mama." her daughter chimed, bounding up the first set of stairs to do just that. She had a good hour or so before dinner which was plenty of time.

\----

The sun finally set, and the rain had picked up again, pitter pattering against the window above the bathroom. Marinette watched it warily as she sank a little further into the tub, drawing her knees up to her chest. The day had been exhausting and confusing. A million an one questions coursed in her mind but she didn't have a single answer for them. With a bubbled sigh she sank beneath the the warm, clear water of the tub only to rise sharply from it with a yelp as her head touched the bottom of the tub sloshing the bathwater.

"OW" Marinette squeaked, her hand launching to examine the back of her head. 

Her hands wove up through her hair, exploring the lump that had formed earlier that day. It was still tender, each light touch of her hand causing a light sting, but she couldn't feel any blood around it. And in the very least, her intense head ache had subsided. Tikki perked up next to her, sticking her snout over the edge of the tub. The poor pooch that was resting by the side had gotten splashed in Marinette's flailing.

"Sorry girl." Marinette winced, reaching out to pat the top of the setters head. 

Taking her hand away from the pup, she paused, looking at Tikki strangely. 

"ah..." 

The top of Tikki's head had been damp when she found her. Marinette scrunched her face, leaning towards the side of the tub to look at her dog. Tikki looked back curiously, her head damp where Marinette had touched it. Marinette had guessed it was just the cave dripping onto her... but what if Tikki had met someone in the tunnels? The thought made her a little worried as she placed her chin on the rim to match her dog, her blue eyes following the movements of raindrops racing on the window pane. But it made a few more things make sense. The weird water marks on the ground, Tikki's head and why she had been acting so strange, even why Marinette had been so far from where she thought she fell and those... 

She closed her eyes, sighing quietly. The room came alive with sounds as she let her shoulders relax. Drops of water leaked from the faucet of the tub with a small plip, plip. The rain hushed and drummed from outside window, and Tikki breathed softly at her side. And then there in the darkness and calm, those piercing... beautiful green eyes looked back at her.

Marinette fluttered her eyes open. The scene hadn't changed. It was the same, cozy and familiar bathroom she had known, but her heart felt excited, restless even. Next to her, Tikki broke into a yawn.

She was going to go back to that place tomorrow. To get her hat... mostly. Part of her was ebbed on by an intense, incredibly stupid sense of curiosity. She wanted to know what exactly was with that mermaid trap hidden in that maze. After all she wasn't a little kid anymore, she didn't believe in ghost and other such fairy-tales after all, there had to be a logical answer to it all.

"Marinette! Dinner's almost ready!"

The muffled sound of her mom's voice welled up from outside the room and Marinette was pulled from her thoughts.

" I'll be out soon Mama!" She shouted back. 

Marinette made to get up, pulling the drain behind her and then grabbing the folded towel she had placed on a side table next to the tub. She wrapped the fuzzy garment around her self and hopped out onto the rug in front of the bath to towel off. Her skin was still a merry pink from the warm water and the room was stuffy with steam. As she patted herself down, Marinette paused at her left leg. Faintly present against the heated pink of her flesh was a faint white line across her knee. A thin scar from where she fell, healed as though her fall had happened a year ago instead of that morning. That cut was the only thing she had no guess for, no logic to comfort her nerves about. Poking it faintly Marinette mumbled to herself.

I'll find out the truth about you, I swear it..." 

Scowling with thought, the determined girl rushed to get change, finishing her bathing obligations and shuffled out of the room, her mind still consumed by the vision of green orbs.

\----

A small groan bounced through the cave as the blonde boy leaned over the edge of the well, scowling at shallow water that mocked him from a few yards away. The waves hadn't climbed as far into the tunnel as they had when he got stuck here. Instead the lauded the sweet embrace of freedom that just out of his reach. His tail spun with frustration underneath him, his flowing fins flickering back in forth with changing patches black and white scales. He wondered if he just the fortune or rather misfortune of the full moon that got him this far in the first place. It wasn't like there was an excess of water when he had gotten curious about the cave and swam in, his tattered fins could attest to it. 

He felt the gurgle of his insides churn with hunger, a small but painful twinge pulling at his guts. Even if he did drag himself out, with broken fins he'd be an easy target. But if he waited here too long he'd starve. 

Sighing he lifted his face up, his sharp, spring green eyes watching water mist dance in a dim shaft of moonlight. The image of bountiful blue eyes hung in his mind. 

He wondered if the human girl and her four legged friend had made it home safely. Pink tinted his face as he thought about it. He had seen her first from the bottom of the well, she seemed so animated. That morning replayed itself already a few times his memories.

_His breath had caught in his chest when he first heard her, hands frozen where he had been scratching the furry red creatures head, dampening its fur as it leaned into the motion. A small but clear voice echoed down the cave, bouncing off the walls in humming reverberation._

_“Tikki?”_

_His heart skipped a beat, startled as the red creature broke away from his touch and bellowed a sharp, piecing bark in response to her masters call._

_“Is that you?” He whispered curiously to the dog. “Tikki?”_

_The animal wagged its tail emensely, changing feet anxiously as it tried to lick his face. The boy pressed his lips together in a small grin, fighting back a smile._

_“Okay, okay. Yes I see. ”_

_The sound of steps begin to bounce, pitter-tap, pitter-tap,-pitter-tap, sounding closer and closer as the sound bounced through the cave and he knew he couldn't stay._

_“Don't give me away okay?” he whispered with a wink to the animal, giving it a good last pat before ducking down into the water._

_It wasn't long before her form appeared, distorted through the waters surface making it annoyingly blurry from where he tucked himself around the tunnels bend, but he had seen her! A living breathing human was right there sitting above the surface of the water. His chest tightened with nervous, timid excitement. As scared as he should be, the merman couldn't help but want to move closer. To get a good clear look at the human, sitting by the water's edge with the kind red land beast. His stomach felt tense._

_**A human.** his brain echoed like a record. **A living breathing human and a dog.** were right there mere feet away from his hiding spot and he had no where else to go. His heart pounded in his chest. He was scared. He had every right to be. But more than that he was overcome by a strange rush of excitement. This was first human he'd ever been this close too. Yes, he had been warned about humans, that they were selfish, greedy, and deadly creatures that he should stay away from... but his head still tilted up as he could hear her mirth bubbling through the water from up above. He inched forward little by little so he could see her blurred form greeting the beast kindly. Nothing about this one seemed that bad._

_He wanted a peek, just for a moment to see her up close... but her form was so unclear from where he hid. In all honestly he really hadn't hadn't meant to drift so close, but then, before he knew it, he found himself swept up in the muffled wonder of her voice as she mused and then... brilliant blue eyes were starring into his._

_She saw him._

She had seen him.

 _His eyes widened in shock, his chest rising in sudden panic as her scream pieced the water and he glimpsed her form fling back from the lip of the pool. He turned in a flash, shrinking back into the tunnel with lightning speed, pressed against the wall as his heart thundered in his chest. A thousand thoughts racing through his mind._

_He had seen her. She had seen him._

_Great serpents of the nile. Just for a moment. She had seen him._

_And she screamed? Was he scary?_

 _A splash drummed from the surface above him His mind raced more. Was that a rock? Was she going to seal him in? His chest froze as he waited for something to drift down, but nothing did. Breathing out heavily, his gills filtered in air from the water hungrily and he chanced a look. Instead of a rock, A strange lumpy thing floated, bobbing slightly on the waters surface. He scrunched his face in confusion but before he could put a thought into motion, a shadow returned over the wells opening and he ducked back down behind the bend pulling the water and sending some of the long moss around him into motion._

The mermaid extended his hand, playing with a beam of moonlight as the memory pulsed. The lapping sound of water gave the dark cave a gentle ambient sound. And then all the rest had happened. He lost himself for a second, when the unexpected smell of blood entered the water. His stomach growled again. He could have killed her.

She was soft and light when he had moved her. Fragile even. He still couldn't believe she was one of the monstrous humans of stories. Even if she was, he didn't want to be the creature in their stories.

His nerves twisted. He couldn't imagine if anyone found out he had revealed himself to a human. It was one of the largest taboos you could make and it frightened him to his core yet... a deep, curious part of him part of him wanted to see her again. 

A groan escaped his lips as he stretched out over his confinement and he rolled restlessly over to the other side of the well where he bumped into something. The scratchy surface of a little straw bundle tickled his arm and he stared at it, wide eyed, gingerly taking it into his hands. It was the girls hat, dirtied and sodden from sitting in a puddle next to the pond. He guessed she must have left it behind after everything. He felt it over carefully, examining it curiously. Golden thread on the inside of the hats band etched out in symbols he could not read and the boy felt sea butterflies in his stomach once more. He wondered if she'd come back for her this. 

Carefully he dragged himself from the pond, scooting just a little further to safely plop the article to dry on the same dried moss she had rested on earlier. He did hope she'd come back.

Until then, he wondered how long he'd be stuck there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mer-may kinda remind me I was supposed to have been working on this... might as well label this one a slow burn for both the update speeds and progress.
> 
> By the way, other than faster updates and grammer stuff, were there anything you guys had had some feed back on or were secretly hoping for? I have stuff planned but it's my first fic so I think it'd be fun to bounce some ideas around for this or even a different one. Lemme know.

The familiar scent of warm, freshly-baked bread crept into Marinette's room as it did every early morning, wafting up gently from the downstairs kitchen, a sign of her fathers early efforts to prep the bakery. But this time, before it had the chance to wake her, Marinette was already up, shrugging herself out of her pajamas and into a fresh set of clothes for the day. 

Color was just barely leaking into the morning sky as she stumbled about her bedroom, attempting to tug on a custom pair of black capris while simultaneously trying to gather a bag of supplies together. Tikki watched, sleepy-eyed from the warmth of tangled covers of the bed, a little more reluctant to give away the cozy cocoon of sleep as her master was. Her ears only rose slightly as a sharp bang burst the room, the sound of Marinette clipping her hip into the side of her vanity, and the sub-sequential squeal as the girl recoiled, and tripped to the ground as her legs got tangled by her halfway-up pants. Tikki cracked open an eye just as Marinette popped straight back up a second later, pulling her pants all the way up with her in one fell swoop.

"I'm okay." She declared in a triumphant hushed tone, but she wasn't really talking to Tikki, or anyone really. Tikki still gave a long soft sigh in response, rolling over till her head was under the duvet.

Snatching a flowy pink blouse she had laid out on her red chaise, Marinette pulled it over her undershirt, then reached for the bulky metal flashlight that sat on the floor next to it. She tested it breifly, flickering the switch on and off once or twice, the bulb flickering to life for a second each time. Satisfied, she packed it into her sack along with a sketchbook, some pencils, and a few other trinkets. Then, finally, with a final touch up to her hair, adjusting the ties on her pigtails in the mirror, the plucky young lady spun around ready to go. Her companion, however, was not.

Looking across the room at the burrowed Tikki, it was clear that her companion would need some convencing. Marinette trotted over quietly, reaching out to gently rock her companion through the covers. 

"Come on girl, time to go."

Tikki gave a long whine in protest in return and Marinette held back a laugh, smiling as she shook her a little more.

"Tikkiiii... come on, up up! Rise annnd shine!" She cooed.

The canine companion groaned more in response, sassing back in whines as she squirmed, rubbing her form against the sheets and mattress. But there was only a little more protest before the dog relented, snorting in a mock-annoyance, before she pulled herself up out of the covers with a shake, stretch, and yawn and plopped down onto the rug of the room. Marinette giggled, squishing Tikki's face lovingly.

"Good-morning sleepy head."

Tikki made to lick her cheek in response, making her owner giggle more and push her away. Marinette stood back up and quietly made for the door, now with Tikki at her heels.

Tip-toeing carefully down the stairs, Marinette could already hear the tinkering of her father warming up the kitchen and prepping for a morning rush. His dedication made her smile. She deliberated for a moment if she should slip out quietly without disturbing him, but figured it'd be better to let him know she'd be out, so without a further pause, she slipped into the kitchen.

The fluffy aroma of baked bread and flour met her like a kindly kiss in the kitchen's warm air. Her father was placing plaited dough onto trays as she came into the room. She knocked softly onto the frame of the door way so that she wouldn't startle him.

"Morning Papa." 

Tom instantly brightened, turning to see his precious daughter enter the kitchen, his eyes briefly flickering over to a clock across the the room that read 6:37 as he dusted off his hands on his apron that puffed up a mini cloud of flour.

"Marinette! Good morning. You're up quite early."

Marinette trotted into the room, giving her dad a quick peck on either cheek. He gave her a once-over, noticing that she was already dressed for the day, but moved about with his morning work. Marinette trotted to Tikki's food bin an dish, filling some into her bowl with it's scoop and some into a small travel container for the day.

"So, where are you off to this early in the Morning?" Tom asked with a smile, finishing the last plait and grabbing his tray with a hand towel before moving it to the oven. 

"Oh, uh, the beach." Marinette answered , not turning to look back at her Dad as she watched Tikki dig into her kibble. 

"Tikki and I found a spot yesterday and I-I, wanted to to get some some early light sketches in for inspiration for a new design." she managed in a partial truth. 

Still her father hummed a note of understanding as he rotated the racks of bread into and out of the oven. The flush of heat from the oven's belly spilled into the room, beckoning to anyone the inviting promise of soothing comfort and treats. Marinette could feel her stomach growl, reminded that it hadn't yet had it's breakfast. She opened her mouth a moment to ask, but Tom's cheery reply cut her off. 

"The beach, huh? The dawn and sea do hold many wonders. I'm sure you will find a wonderful inspiration there." He mused, placing the baked trays onto cooling racks. He was always keenly supportive of the design endeavors his daughter aimed for, and for that his daughter was thankful. 

"Is Tikki coming with you this time too?" He asked, picking and placing a few fresh rolls and danishes off to the side, onto a thick cloth with small jars of jam and butter. 

"Yes, Papa, I wouldn't be without her." Marinette chuckled, patting Tikki's head at her side. Tikki crunched on her kibble but her tail wagged slowly in broad arcs as a response. 

Her father hummed a note of understanding again.

"... ah, but Marinette-" Tom paused in the thought, his hands stilled as he turned to look at her. His face scrunched as if thinking something over and he opened his mouth as if to say something, but then instead shook his head. He grabbed a spare bread knife, wrapped it in a small clean hand cloth and wrapped it up with the tote of baked goods. Turning from the counter, he crossed back over to his daughter, pressing the cloth bundle into one of her hands and a morning roll into the other. Marinette could feel the tingling warmth of the bread seep into her palm.

" Have fun my lil Mari. " He encouraged, looking her in the eyes. " And be careful, if you see anything odd, come straight home okay?".

Kindly wrinkles crinkled around his own soft green eyes, but they still held a twinkle of loving and sincere concern. Marinette knew he just cautioned her with trust and worry and smiled back reassuringly. 

"I will, papa." 

With that, Marinette gave him a slight hug of gratitude, careful of his flour-y apron. She tucked the food into her bag for later and waited for Tikki to finish her breakfast before bidding her dad a bye and see-ya later. Then the pair headed out the back door into the tepid morning air. 

\---

The sky outside was rosy, painted in soft colors of the pinks, purples, and oranges of the breaking dawn. The town was quiet and dark still, with only a few lights and chimney's here and there lit with the signs of people getting ready for the day. It didn't take long before Marinette slipped onto a main road which changed from cobblestone to compact dirt as she left the town and headed towards the beach. Safely out of the nosy streets, she bit into the soft fluffy roll her father had handed her, reveling in it's melt in the mouth soft texture. The feeling of pleasure the roll gave was only rivaled by the now daunting, idiotic idea that she was putting into motion. 

She was, indeed, and quote; going by herself, granted with Tikki, to a confusing mound of caves in which she thought she saw a dead body in yesterday for a single hat and curiosities sake. And yet! She had so confidently reassured her dad that she would be careful. The inviting flavor of the breakfast roll in her mouth could only do so much as Marinette's stomach rolled. She didn't feel very comfortable not telling her dad the whole truth. But still she felt entranced by the sheer desire to know what had been in those caves. And the eyes.... Groaning she sped up her pace towards the beach, egged on by a refreshed to quell her curiosity and get the task over with. 

The trek along the shore line was long but uneventful. Before Marinette could register the length of the time pasted, the pair had already turned off the main road to and reached the short drop down into the labyrinth cove. Tikki bounced down the ledge ahead of her master, who had this time, gracefully and skillfully climbed down without loosing her footing. Proud, the dark haired girl's pigtails bounced as she plopped down onto the pebbles, feeling like she had bested the rocks that had punched the air out of her the morning before. 

The tide that had come in the previous night had receded for the dawn of the new day, leaving new smooth rocks and a few wreaths of kelp on the sludgy ledges. Steeling herself mentally, Marinette traced the shelf walls towards the cave. Her pace was slow going but carefully monitored and the more she thought and thought the more her face and shoulders tensed, scrunched with a grimace of concentration. Up until something splashed her ankles from the water side, catching her by suprise. 

"What the-"

She started, turning back to see a black coated marine otter floating in the water next to the thin path, looking at her with what she would swear was a cheeky grin.

Tikki had already stopped behind her, crouched low trying to paw at the creature to play and whining softly in excitement as her tail wagged low. The creature in the water flipped back and forth in the water, bobbing closer and further as if to tease her dog. Stunned at the sight, Marinette cracked a smile and then broke into a laugh as Tikki slapped the water with a wobbly outstretched paw. 

_What the heck was an sea cat doing out on this side of the beach?_ She thought, looking around for any others she might have missed swimming in the area, but this mischievous critter seemed alone.

The unexpected guest broke the tension that had burrowed into her brow and Marinette's nerves unwound a little. In her delighted surprise, the adventurer waited a little longer for the pair, clutching the wall of the thin cliff paths as she watched the two play. Before long however, the otter bolted in the water further up along side the path, egging Tikki on ahead of them, and Tikki, eager to follow, squeezed past Marinette's legs after it, racing ahead happily like she had reconnected with an old friend. Sighing whimsically, Marinette followed their dance until she reached their original destination at the mouth of the cavern.

The red setter waited at the mermaid traps mouth, belly to the damp stones, patiently and intently watching the otter cat that had scampered up onto a the land and up a higher set of rocks. Her master patted her head as she caught up. Marinette figured the game they were playing would occupy them for a while, and she would hate to break it up, but she also wanted to get her own task over with. With a sigh, she ruffled the top of Tikki's head. 

"I'm gonna go ahead girl, don't go far." She instructed, moving to the mouth of the cavern. 

Her dog looked at her with big brown eyes, licked her chops and panted slightly while her tail fanned a little slower, and Marinette was sure she understood.

Inside was just as calm an serene as it had been the day before, alive with the bubbling of water and soft glow of the morning rays bouncing town the tunnel. It didn't even look like she would really need the flashlight she packed, but she made the effort to pull it from her satchel any how. Flickering it on, Marinette paused looked around intently, leading the beam of light around the cavern walls. Something she hadn't noticed her first time there twinkled along the walls of the cave in a straight line back. The sea water that had sloshed into the cave with high tide had left more salt crystals up into and along the cavern floor and walls, giving a glittering texture to them as she moved closer to examine it. Inquisitive, the bakers daughter reached out and traced her finger along the wall, sending the fresh salt crumbling to the cave floor and clearing a satisfying line wherever she traced. She could even tell exactly how high up the water had managed to climb the night before as faint traces left a water line along the walls. 

Looking around further, Marinette couldn't see any other signs of the salt being disturbed other than where she had already stepped. To her best guess it looked like no one had been or out of the cave this morning. Feeling reassured, the adventurous lass followed the salt line further back into the cave until the curve up past it into a salt free zone. She guessed that the steady rise of the slope into the tunnel prevented the whole cave from flooding in the evening, the tunnels behaving like a long, swan-necked flask. 

Moving on steadily, Marinette found herself creeping quietly the further along into the cave she went. The roar of the sea dimmed behind her as she anticipated the bends that would lead her to the well while a thought replayed in her head with increasing volume. which was; _What was she doing. Absolutely, what in the seven circled of seas and hell, was she doing. Going into a catacomb of all alone, following this charming little stream to depths of the earth to check if- for- to get her hat back. And honestly, the hat probably wan't worth it. Sure she had put a lot of time into it, but she could fix up another, right? Ohhh boy._

With her rapidly deflating courage, Marinette stopped just short of the wind up to the well. She flickered off her light, blinking heavily a few times realizing she hadn't let her eyes adjust to the natural low light with it on. It took her a minute, she breathed in deeply a few times and shook out her hands, but her eyes adjusted just fine. She listened, still and focused but when nothing sounded out of place, she figured she was as ready as she'd ever be. Decisively, she popped around the damp boulders that obscured the area. 

And there, across the way, on a patch of miraculously dry patchy dead moss, as if daintily placed was her sun hat. 

And before that, draped on the ground, was the curled figure of a boy, beautifully blond and shirtless, slumped half way out of the water well, a gentle face cradled into his folded arms. 

Marinette swore she felt her heart stop.


	6. Chapter 6

Suprisingly Marinette did not scream this time.

In fact, she couldn't, so shocked with a sudden icy-dread of this discovery that she stood as still, stiff, and straight as the stalagmites around her, positive she could hear her heart stop in it's tracks. She scarcely blinked as she held her breath, intensely staring wide-eyed at the boy's figure slumped half way out of the water onto the cave floor, until there, just so gently, just so ever there, she could see the rise and fall of his chest from where she stood rooted. 

"Ohthanktheheavensheisalive." She exhaled shakily, in one quiet breath, hand clutching to her chest as her heart roared back into action, dangerously thundering against her rib-cage. He was alive, he was breathing. Marinette could almost laugh she felt so shaky. He's alive, he's alive, hes alive her brain chanted, attempting to keep her wits in line.

Marinette craned back to look up at the far dark ceiling, breathing deep, then glanced back at him again and again, re-checking the steady movement of his breath and bowing in relief. _How. What. What was he even doing this far down into the tunnels?_ Questions were already bubbling in her mind. With shaky hands, she crept forward. 

_What happened to this guy?_

_How did he even get down here?_

_How was he still alive?_

Her thoughts began to tangle as her shock wore down and panic seeped in. She needed to go get help, right? But the town was too far away to just leave him half way in the water like that. What was the right thing to do? Who knew how long he had been there, it could have been a few hours? Overnight? Maybe days even. She wanted to act fast, swallowing harshly as she went with her gut. She had to get him out of the water first and then... then...

Marinette mouthed soundlessly in her panic, her voice caught in her throat as she debated trying to call out to the boy.

"H-hey...? I are you-hey are you, alive...?" 

For a moment only the caves echoing drips responded, then she heard it. The smallest murmur from his lips as Marinette stood petrified, straining to listen to something she couldn't quite make out. She could just barely hear something followed by ...nn... ni...no? Nino maybe? as the boy curled in closer to his own arm.

"Nino?" She whispered quietly, scrunching her brow. _Someone he knew maybe?_

She squirmed in place, trying to think to think of a better planned but Marinette could only frown with indecision as she sized the boy up. What she wanted to get him out of the water, but she didn't want to shock him in case he woke up as she was trying to pull him out. She wasn't certain how well she'd be able to keep her balance if her weight tipped by the ledge of the well. 

"H-hey!" she tried again, softly but firmly, getting a little closer.

"I'm not sure if you're with me but, I-I'm going to try to move you, okay?" 

The boy mumbled unintelligibly and the baker's daughter wondered if he was half awake or completely out of it. She couldn't even imagine the condition he must be in. Moving a little faster, Marinette slung her backpack off and onto the stone floor before closing the distance between them completely. With hesitant hands, she made to gently touch him, her hand lingering just at his bowed head, her fingertips pausing for a moment to softly sweep his bangs from his face. Her heart skipped a new beat. His face was flushed with fever, and his eyes slightly scrunched with discomfort, but he had the most angelic face she'd ever seen in her life. Soft and angled well, seemingly highlighted by strange sparkling black flecks freckled the edges of his cheekbones. She squinted, unsure, but she could swear they almost looked like scales. 

Bracing herself firmly on the edge of the pool, Marinette gave herself a wide stance and carefully hooked her arms under his. She tried to planting her feet wide as still thin framed girl could manage and sucked in a breath as she began to hoist the pretty stranger out of the pool. She did her best to keep steady as his weight shifted forward towards her and water sloshed out with him. She tried not to look at his bare torso as he leaned towards her with the limpness of a tired cat, glancing over his shoulder as she had to pull him closer to get leverage, but as her gaze broke a glance down she was caught with an unexpected sight. As his bare torso rose from the water, so did a broad black fin from the base of his spine.

Marinette yelped in shock and surprise, losing her huffed breath, and the boy in her arms jerked suddenly as he woke with a start. His head rose quickly, connecting sharply with her jaw, shoving it shut with an audible click. Reeling from the sudden impact, Marinette dropped the now wide eyed mystery man like a bag of rocks, sending him plummeting down. He twisted with the sudden release into gravity, his tail slapped in the water, trying to right himself, but too much of him was out of the water to do any good. Instead he caught the lip of the well with his chest with a heavy slap before the pair rolled in either directions, each clutching their own sudden impacts as their pain took precedence over the situation. 

The girl crouched low and cradled her jaw, groaning slightly as she curled into a ball while the startled, hapless fish-boy wheezed, rolling onto his side to clutch his chest as the wind had been knocked right out of his lungs. The top of his head stung and recovery took a good few moments as he tried to focus on the other person in the room, his chest throbbing with a dull ache. 

_What had just...???_

He finally managed look up and over to see, it was the girl from yesterday doubled over, holding her jaw. His mind locked up and quite suddenly all his thoughts and agonies, crashed together and summarized suddenly so that as he opened his mouth to say something, a strange garbled shout of shock was the only thing to bubble out. The girl's face wheeled to face his quickly, her blue eyes wide as saucers as she screamed sharply back frightened, startled anew, but the sound was cut short as she slapped her hands back to her jaw, groaning with the pain of suddenly moving it caused.

"Oww augh aahhoww" he could her whimper. 

The pair stood opposed for a fair amount of time, each coiled inward, trying to collect themselves, the pain slowly dulling and the presence of each other having scarcely moved became more and more looming. But before they completely had a breather, the sound of clicking nails scratching and scraping against rocks echoed down the cave from either of them. The faint clickity-clack was soon swallowed by a booming bark that broke the air, before up, over the ridge of the slopes edge bore Tikki. Hackles raised and teeth bared, the loyal companion placed herself directly between the two, sounding with a terrifying, deep, low growl that Marinette, never in her whole life, had heard from her sweet dog before. Without thinking, Marinette sprang into action, leaped up and forward to grab Tikki by the collar. 

"Whoa girl! Easy! easy!" Marinette called to her dog, trying to reign her in. Tikki did not budge against her masters tugging, but did not pull any farther forward either, instead she kept her head trained towards the merman on the edge of the water and her whole body stood in a forward point like a rock-solid statue. Her growling quieted at her owners call, but the Irish setter's fur still stood on end, making a fierce line down her back. She gave the clear message that no one was going to mess with her girl if she had a say in it. 

After his initial scream, the boy across from them had rolled onto his stomach, lurching forward as he began coughing up a storm. He only managed to meagerly scoot back, gasping as Tikki flashed between them. 

Still mentally cartwheeling, Marinette blurted out the first thought on her mind.

"Oh my god, what hap- what are- Are you okay?" 

She was hesitant to move, her eyes tracing every visible detail of him that she could see from where she stood, gawking at how his fit form melded into a long and smooth jet-black tail into a broad flowing tail that still tousled the water. Behind him, just visible over the curled of his back as he coughed, she could see the flexing tips of a long, spiked fin that she had seen graduating from the base of his spine.

The boy struggled for a breath, trying to choke out a word but couldn't manage anything more than a warbly rasp. His ribs ached with every dry huff, but a sudden soft and warm touch sent his system into a stiff stillness. Clutching his hand to his chest, his gaze shot up, looking into the bright eyes of the blue-eyed girl mere inches from his own. 

His cough stopped suddenly, leaving him gasping mutely as he just stared, vivid eyes unwavering as he stared at her like she was a mythical beast. And she stared back, just as unbelievably stupefied as he. Then, his eyes traveled, following her free arm to her hand that now gingerly cupped his shoulder. _she was right there... She. She a hu-_ His heart thundered with the pace of a sea squall, his wide green eyes flickering back from her soft dainty hand to her lips as she began to speak. 

"You... you're a-a oh my seas, you're a-a" She began, stuttering as her words sputtered to life. 

Before she could finish the boy threw himself back sharply, splashing backwards like a diver into the well behind them, his impact sending up a huge splash that drenched the bewildered blue haired girl. 

"a mermaid..." she finished quietly, staring at the rippling pool as water dripped from her bangs down her face. 

".... a mermaid." she repeated, spinning to her canine companion who had calmed besides her.

"TIKKI HE'S A MERMAID." she exclaimed, gesturing both hands straight out to the warping well. 

"A-a Merman? I- I I... I what?!" 

_It was impossible._ her mind bellowed, but she knew what she had seen. "Absolutely impossible" she muttered, crawling forward to peer into the water, but it's sloshing depths revealed nothing again. 

Beside her Tikki whined briefly and licked her owner's cheek to see if she was alright. Marinette shifted as Tikki's wet fur pressed against her, pausing to pat her friend in return, noticing the pooch too had not been spared by the wave. Resigning, she out a heavy sigh of tension and plopped backwards to stare at the ceiling in wonder. Her hand instinctively flew up to hold her jaw, checking the damage to it briefly. Most of the pain had subsided with the jarring encounter and now it just ached dully, it would probably be a bad bruise. Her head still felt rattled from the harsh click of her jaw, but she was at least glad she didn't bite her tongue in all that. Man had her luck just been exceptionally awful lately. The girl huffed again, drawing her gaze back to the calming water. 

That had definitely been the pair of eyes she thought she saw the day before, she was convinced of it, she hadn't just been seeing things. She had been inches from him and his fresh as spring green gaze that seemed to pierced her deeply with just a look. And what more, he was a... impossible. 

Slowly the mystified girl rose and walked slowly over to her bag, that had been mercifully untouched by any of the spray and gathered it up. She then rounded the well with a wide berth to the moss patch where her hat lay, scooting it over to take a seat. Tikki followed, plopping down beside her girl as the pair quietly and persistently focused on the now still water and waited. 

___

Below the water's surface and around the bend of its winding tunnels, the boy pressed against the curved bend, his gills flaring violently as he breathed in and out rapidly. He swiveled his gaze to the turn he had just come from but saw nothing but the dancing plants he had disrupted. He blinked once, then twice, watching and waiting before placing his hand to his aching chest. Although he had slammed against the stone, it wasn't the only reason his heart quivered. She definitely had seen him this time. The blue-eyed human girl. She had touched him. She had... really soft hands? And she had screamed again.

He had been expecting her, hoping she would come back, just not... not like that. Grimacing, he let himself sink with the slope of the rocks. Aside from the pain in his chest and pride, he took in the throbbing in his head, beating in rhythm with his pulse. He felt awful and warm, to the point that even the cool water around him felt much too warm. The saltwater solution in the tunnels was weakening, and although it was manageable, it wasn't quiet the oceans water he needed. His body lurched with the craving for the open waters, leaving him more lethargic the longer he spent here, especially with an empty stomach. Pulling himself close, he glanced to the entrance of the tunnel again, watching the water rock slower and slower until it held still once more. Dull light filtered in from the dusky cave above, but he saw no shadows being cast. 

As time started to crawl, the merman felt his curiosity beginning to trinkle in. He watched for a what felt like an hour or two, but nothing changed. Tentatively, he inched a little closer, until bit by bit he made it to the bend and peaked up around the corner. There were no distorted images above the water, no looming shadows lying in wait. _Had she gone?_ he wondered to himself, pushing gently out of his hiding place, allowing himself to slowly float up to the surface. 

He broke the water's surface soundlessly, his eager eyes adjusting as he peeked around, barely daring to lift much of his head from the surface. The far side of the cave that headed towards the entrance looked clear, but when he swiveled around the other direction he froze. 

The human girl was sitting there, scrawling in some squarish, soft looking block with her bag open beside her. On her other side, the red beast from yesterday sat watching him, huffing a sigh as their eyes met but the dog did not give him away. Apparently, the beast owner had decided to make herself quiet comfortable and the pair had waited there as long as he did. A little astonished, the boy quietly neared the edge of the pool, just watching the girl and her strange little motions. He couldn't quite see what she was doing from where he was and without realizing it, craned a closer and closer as time passed. His shoulders were nearly out of the water as he watched her reach absent-mindedly into her back for something, a cloth bundle that she untied with one hand, still looking down at her block, and as the package uncurled, the most delicate and mouth-watering aroma he'd ever known wafted into the air. He stared as the girl picked up a small golden, glistening and crispy lump cloth and began to raise it to her lips and could feel his mouth begin to salivate. 

A resounding gurgle from his stomach suddenly broke the silence of the room. 

With a twinge of dread, his gaze broke from the roll to the girl's who was now looking up and directly back at him. 

"Uh... Hi. " She said kindly, if not a little off guard.

Continuing, she tilted the golden lump towards him. "Do you... want some?" 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Thanks for making it this far. This is my first fan fic, so I'm kind of nervous about it. I had the idea for this after reading bookskitten's "Turn Loose the Mermaids" fanfic (I recommend giving it a read!) \\( ' v ' ). I really liked it and wanted to write my own mermaid au. Updates will be slow going but I hope I'll write something people can enjoy. 
> 
> -Kyroki


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